What Makes A Man
by astrovagant
Summary: In which Anzu gets an acceptance letter. An angsty drabble. Reviews are love, remember that.


**_Yes, it's an angsty drabble. I like it. :)_**

**_It's for an FB drabble challenge... _****_Set post-series. :P_**

**_**_Enjoy! :D_**_**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, which I assume is fairly obvious to the general public...<strong>

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><p><strong>What Makes A Man<strong>

**by **

**S. A. Raven**

**~.~.~.~.~**

_"This isn't goodbye, even as I watch you leave_

_This isn't goodbye, I swear I won't cry_

_Even as tears fill my eyes, I swear I won't cry_

_Any other girl I'd let you walk away_

_Any other girl I'm sure I'd be okay..."_

_-**What Makes A Man - Westlife**_

** ~.~.~.~.~**

Her eyes widen when she finds the letter in her mailbox. She quickly grabs it, her long, normally graceful fingers shaking with both anticipation and apprehension as she scrambles to tear it open, reading the contents as swiftly as her mind can allow. She practices English on a daily basis, and it doesn't take her long to decipher the contents.

Her entire future is suddenly before her; laid out on creamy, off-white stationary. Emotions assault her, and she doesn't know whether she should laugh wildly or burst into tears. Both urges are very tempting.

Involuntarily, a tear slides down her cheek. She wipes it away, staring at it in disbelief.

This is what she's fantasized about. What she's dreamed for again and again. This is what she's put her entire life into...

...But, for some strange reason unknown to her. She doesn't feel happy. She doesn't feel excited.

She simply feels absolutely terrified.

**~.~.~.~.~**

They all smile when she relays the news. Her blue eyes are shining with unshed tears, and her smile is forced; but they don't seem to notice. Perhaps she's gotten off lucky. Or perhaps they're more empathetic than she thought.

She allows a true smile to cross her face at the very idea. Only Bakura-_kun _and Yuugi are smart enough for true empathy. The other two, while they have their moments of intelligence, are normally idiots.

Honda then laughs, "That's wonderful!" before grabbing her into a friendly embrace. It is warm and joyful and completely genuine, and she can't help but feel just the smallest bit more excited.

This _is_ her dream, after all.

Jounouchi ruffles her hair, smiling, "So, you're getting outta Japan, huh? Our little Anzu's growing up!" Typical Jounouchi; joking and laughing. Utterly unfazed by anything and everything.

Bakura grins genially, "Congratulations." It's a simple, one-worded sentence; but while Bakura Ryou has his moments, he has never been particularly loud. He's always preferred to stay in the background, virtually invisible to all except those who look for him.

And then there's Yuugi.

She sees a flash of something- something sad and dark and totally foreign- in his eyes. But then he beams at her happily and she forgets about the _something _that she got a glimpse of.

"I knew you could do it!"

Yuugi is like the sun, always shining down and making everyone his metaphorical light reaches become bloom joyously. His smile fills her with strength and once again she is reminded on how much she loves him.

It's just as well that he doesn't know about her feelings; it would only complicate everything. It would only hurt them both.

**~.~.~.~.~**

"I've been accepted to Juilliard."

Mutou Yuugi isn't one for negative emotions. He tends to focus on only the positive ones, pushing away the others. He's had enough negativity in his life to last a lifetime.

However, while Yuugi knows that he should be happy for Anzu, he can't seem to grasp elation. Instead, there's a horrible pit in his stomach, a pit positively _filled_ with negative emotions.

But he forces an enormous smile on his face, despite the utter sense of loss enveloping him. He has to be strong for her; she _can't _lose this opportunity. And so he smiles, and he blinks away the tears.

"I knew you could do it!"

Because he loves her.

Because all that truly matters is her happiness.

**_Fin_**

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><p><em><strong>Reviews are much appreciated. :)<strong>_

_**With Love,** _

_**C a d y** _


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